Romantic Ireland’s Grave

“The Croppies Acre memorial in Dublin commemorates the United Irish rebellion of 1798. It has been closed to the public for quite some time now, owing to anti-social problems.

This park serves a memorial to many young revolutionaries who were at the backbone of the first Republican movement in Ireland. Many were said to be buried here following their executions, though the claim is sometimes disputed.

The site has been in the news in recent times for all the wrong reasons. In September 2012 the OPW, who are tasked with maintaining the site, made the decision to close it to the public.

Today some photographs from the memorial have emerged that demand attention. Posted to Facebook by the Sean Heuston Dublin 1916 Society, they reveal the extent to which the park has been abandoned by authorities. This particular image is shocking, but deserves a wider audience. Dublin is a city which suffers greatly to the scourge of addiction and drugs, and there is of course a need to provide for those suffering as a result. Yet this memorial park should not be allowed remain as it is, and there is an onus on the OPW and the city to maintain it.”

8 comments on “Romantic Ireland’s Grave”

How is it that there aren’t regular people with an interest in the memorial who are willing to keep an eye out for such activities? I’ve not been to Ireland, so I have no idea how populated the area around the memorial is, but this borders on sacrilege, even if the individuals abusing the area aren’t doing so with that purpose.

the answer to that, cbc, is the answer to everything relating to public services in this state (via U2’s cameo in ‘simpsons’ episode): “Can’t someone else do it?!” – truth is most people are ideologically stymied resulting in a paralysis to do anything – if i went down there tomorrow morning to clean up syringes (at my own expense with protective gear), i’d be arrested with the full weight down on me of the English common law system for trespass! — thanks to post-tiger austerity-pornographers dublin civic society Volunteerism has been co-opted by rapacious privateers with government funded internships and Republicanism, as a philosophy, has been classified “dissident” with the narrative in the EU-centric broadcast media entirely left-wing libertarian or right-wing neo-liberal……… head down, say nothing: ‘Croppies Lie Down’ indeed!

The Croppies Acre or Croppy Acre is actually a linear memorial garden that stands in front of Collins Barracks, a former military base which is now a part of the National Museum of Ireland, more or less in the city centre of Dublin. In the recent past the authorities at the National Museum wanted to turn the memorial site into a visitors’ carpark but public outrage and a spirited campaign prevented this (yes, that is how things work in Ireland, turning a historic mass grave into a carpark for tourists – or a food hall). There is a strong suspicion that the park is being deliberately allowed to fall into ruin to give the authorities an excuse to concrete it over without public opposition.

I can give the example of the nearby town of Swords in formerly rural north Dublin where the much-loved town-park was zoned to become the site of the new county hall by local councillors. The plan drew considerable public debate while the park which used to draw large crowds of people to its pristine lawns during lunchtimes or after schools was allowed to become a centre for binge drinking, vandalism and graffiti, quickly descending into something of a no-go zone. It gave the council the excuse they needed to bulldoze the park and build a hideous concrete and glass white elephant.

Of course they promised to upgrade other park facilities in the town, particularly the potentially stunning River Valley Park, to compensate for its loss but unsurprisingly that never happened.

The local county councillors have been a by-word for egotists and self-aggrandizers for the last two decades.

Not that local officials in most places aren’t egoists and self-aggrandizers, but you seem to have an especially virulent lot. I can’t imagine someone here proposing to turn a memorial to the dead into a parking lot. Not that we don’t have plenty of developers and conspiring officials willing to bulldoze other sites of historical or ecological significance …

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